This invention pertains to the art of casting and more particularly to casting molten steel into ingots.
The invention is particularly applicable to a process for reconditioning a steel ingot mold for extending its useful life and will be described with particular reference thereto. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention has broader applications and may be readily adapted to use in other environments.
In the production of steel, the molten metal is poured or cast from the furnace into so-called ingot molds. These molds are quite large in size and form quite large, somewhat rectangular steel ingots. Each ingot thus formed is removed from the mold and then conventionally processed as by means of rolling through a plurality of rolling mills, soaking mills and the like until the ingot has been shaped or worked into some desired configuration having particular dimensional characteristics. Thereafter, the shaped or worked ingot is typically cut into a plurality of smaller bars each having the same dimensional and volume characteristics. The volume of the cast ingot is calculated so that there is very little scrap generated when the worked ingot is cut into bars. These bars may then be further processed for ultimate use in manufacturing steel products and the like.
As noted above, the ingot molds themselves are quite large and are reuseable to accommodate a plurality of ingot casts. However, each cast has a deleterious affect on the mold which has heretofore limited the effective mold life. Typically, and following a normal pattern of mold usage, the mold will begin to round out and cause cracks or bottom fins. In the case of an open ended type mold, the resultant deterioration or damage most generally occurs at the lower end of the mold cavity. In the case of an ingot mold which has an open top end and a closed bottom end, such deterioration occurs adjacent the cavity open top end. In addition, the mold side walls will sometimes prematurely crack and begin to separate. While means have heretofore been devised for repairing such side wall cracks, the molds are generally removed from further production use once the mold cavity begins to round out or otherwise deteriorate as a result of a plurality of ingot casting operations.
It has, therefore, been considered desirable to develop some means for repairing or reconditioning ingot molds for purposes of enhancing or increasing their effective useful lives. Such means would, for example, be advantageous in reducing the frequency with which ingot molds must be replaced, in reducing the necessary inventory of such molds and in reducing storage facilities required therefor.
The present invention contemplates a new and improved process which overcomes the above referred to problems and others and provides a new ingot mold reconditioning process which is simple, economical, readily adapted to use in any number of ingot mold types and styles and which allows a reduction in the volume of an ingot mold in a controlled manner to accommodate various production applications.